Shloka 26
एते चान्ये च गणपा असंख्याता महाबलः । सर्वे सहस्रहस्ताश्च जटामुकुटधारिणः
ete cānye ca gaṇapā asaṃkhyātā mahābalaḥ | sarve sahasrahastāśca jaṭāmukuṭadhāriṇaḥ
These and many other attendants (gaṇas) are innumerable and immensely powerful. All of them are thousand‑armed and wear crowns of matted locks (jaṭā), bearing the marks of Śiva’s own divine retinue.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating the Rudra Saṃhitā account to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha
Cosmic Event: Mythic-cosmic enumeration: innumerability of gaṇas as a sign of Śiva’s unlimited śakti and lordship in the sṛṣṭi frame.
FAQs
It highlights the immeasurable scope of Shiva’s śakti expressed through his gaṇas—countless, powerful beings who uphold divine order. Devotion to Shiva includes reverence for his cosmic retinue, reminding the seeker that the Lord’s presence pervades creation through many forms and agencies.
The gaṇas are described with Shiva-like attributes (jaṭā and immense power), reinforcing Saguna Shiva’s manifest majesty. In Linga worship, the devotee honors not only the formless Absolute indicated by the Linga, but also Shiva’s manifest lordship (aiśvarya) that governs the cosmos through such attendants.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate gaṇa-bhāva—humble service to Shiva—by daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and maintaining Shaiva marks like Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) as a reminder of belonging to Shiva’s divine fold.